Summer Stash Update

The night owl is my new mascot. I've discovered necessity is not only the mother of invention, it is also the reason why I stay up late at night. Lately, it has been impossible to get everything done during the day. Last night I stayed up past all reasonable hours and got down to business with my Summer Stash Quilt. I am happy to report that my rotary cutter was put to good use - all of the fabric has been cut!! I was also able to get about 1/3 of the piecework on the quilt top finished this morning. One more late night and it should be ready to quilt!

A Reason to Bake

Recently I had another birthday. WOW. They sure seem to come around a lot more often than when I was young. For instance, is it just me, or didn't it seem like it took forever to reach the magical age of 16? Now I wish time would just sloooow down. Well, yesterday my really good friend stopped by with a birthday gift (so NICE). Check out the totally cute apron she made (and in some of my favorite colors)...

I LOVE it!! I want to wear it just for the sake of wearing it. It makes me feel like tackling an arduous culinary task like homemade cinnamon rolls. The only problem is lil' sis. For a 5 month old she's pretty brilliant. She plays the 'scream my head off as soon as mom puts me down' game, and then as soon as I pick her up again she is as smiley as can be. Ooooh, is she ever good at it!! I haven't been getting much done because my hands are always full, with her. So, I don't foresee any serious baking in the near future, but that won't stop me from wearing this cute apron and pretending.

I did, however, attempt my sister-in-law's homemade pizza crust recipe.

It turned out pretty darn good, and it was super easy as promised! The kids really enjoyed piling on the toppings. I see a lot of pizza, of the homemade variety, in our future.

Summer Stash Challenge

While out blog hopping I came across a great idea (came acrossed it twice in fact), and if anyone reading this is a quilter, or has a pile of fabric stashed away somewhere, it might be a good idea for you too. A quilting blogger named Eileen has initiated a Summer Stash Challenge. The idea is to make a quilt using only fabrics from your stash. Well, I decided to hop on board - I have a couple of bins of fabric just waiting to see the light of day. Plus I haven't done any quilting since having a baby in January and a new project sounds like FUN. Now the tricky part is deciding which fabric to use. Here are a few finalists (Poetry charm packs, 3 sisters and other shabby, or random pastels)...

Well in case you couldn't figure it out by the size of the photographs, I've decided to go with the pastel mix above. Most of these are little remnant pieces (some really small) I've used on other projects. This quilt will not only be a compilation of random bits of fabric but of memories as well. Perfect for a stash quilt, and perfect for a sweet little girl I know really well. Because the fabric is kind of random, I drew up a random sort of pattern to go with it. This is what I am thinking right now, but I very well could change my mind. Anyone else want to play along?

Blooming Beauties

I am such a gardening geek. I am the truest version of myself with a little dirt under my fingernails, barefoot out working in my flower beds (although I do bathe and wear shoes occasionally). I used to be embarrassed by my enthusiasm for this little hobby of mine, in fact I would duck and hide when my neighbors would drive by so they wouldn’t know just how much time I was spending in my yard and think me crazy, or obsessed. When my oldest was 3 years old he knew the names of every flower in the garden. His friends would come to play and he would take them out back to show them the blossoming hollyhocks the way other kids would brag about a new toy. He was my little worker bee, harvesting seeds and storing them in little plastic bags to plant the following year (poor kid - a geeky little mini-me). I loved being outside with my little plant prodigy. Okay, so maybe I was obsessed. With each addition to our family I’ve spent less and less time out digging in the dirt, and so have my kids. My little guy, who is now 3 years old himself, knows the daisies real well, but that’s just because he’s always picking them. I don’t mind so much because there are SO many of them, and he brings them to me to tuck behind my ear, grinning from his own ear to ear when I do. These days, if my neighbors happen to see me outside I am most likely chasing down one of my kids (& I probably look crazier than ever). I have hardly planted anything new this year. Fortunately there are still some workhorse perennials and self seeders doing their thing (some a little too well). Some plants just seem to thrive under neglect - that's why they are my favorites.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Sometimes I have the hardest time letting go. I simply hang on to things way too long. Longer than I need or use them and definitely longer than I have room for them. The bumper pad below is the perfect example of this. My mother in law and I made it when I was expecting my first baby, 9 years ago (unreal to think it was THAT long ago). It was used as part of a little Americana crib set, and has served no purpose since. Yet it still has been taking up space in a basement closet and perhaps space in my heart, or wherever that place is within us where happy memories and feelings reside. However, all nostalgia aside, WHY, when we still have the matching crib quilt to look at when I want to remember those tender moments of being a new mom, is this cumbersome thing still hanging around? The answer is, I dunno. Guess I am just your classic pack-rat. Well I finally decided to become liberated from the bulkiness of the past (or at least a fragment of it).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

My daughter loved her new bumper pad skirt – she looked quite festive for our 4th of July celebrations. Plus, it was such a cinch to make (no pattern necessary, and I don’t even sew clothes). Soon she will be sporting around all sorts of unused linen from around the house. Think of all that free closet space. :)

Momma's doin' the Happy Dance!

SCHOOLS OUT!! Woohoo! As I write this I've got Alice Cooper's School's Out For Summer song stuck in my brain. Yesterday was the last day and already I am LOVING it. Right now it is after 9:00 a.m. and all 4 of my kids are still in bed asleep – can’t remember the last time that happened. My house is completely quiet (silence is one of my favorite sounds). I don’t have to snatch any slumbering little ones out of bed and strap them in their carseats while I haul kids off to school. I don’t have to remind about homework or reading. No lunches to pack. I won’t care if their clothes completely don’t match - as long as they’re dressed, I’ll be happy. And just to celebrate, I think I’ll even skip combing hair. :) There is absolutely NOTHING on the calendar for today. 'Nothing' sounds so wonderful!